


Guillemet, or Grace in Simplicity

by Gnosya108



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F, Fake Quotes, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 10:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14542518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gnosya108/pseuds/Gnosya108
Summary: Eli reminiscing about a friend she had in the ballet helps her finally get together with Umi





	Guillemet, or Grace in Simplicity

“Lighten up, lighten up,” said Eli. “Everything gets done eventually.” 

“I just wish it’d get done sooner rather than later,” said Umi. Eli laughed.

“I’d think you’d be used to it when your best friend is Honoka.”

“And Kotori.”

“And Kotori,” said Eli. She leaned back in her chair. “But Honoka’s your best friend too, yeah?” Umi didn’t want to admit it so she took a drink of her smoothie. “Everyone works at their own pace.”

“Procrastination is not a pace.”

“I don’t know. I remember near the ballet performances we went from practicing four hours a day to practicing ten hours a day. Of course, it was assumed we’d have tutors, so it was usually eight hours, not four.”

“Really?”

“It wasn’t procrastination. It was how things were scheduled, but yes.” Eli frowned. “I don’t miss those days.” Umi looked over from her drink warily, but changed her mood when she saw Eli.

“At least you’re not doing so badly anymore.”

“I still have the calluses on my feet,” said Eli. “Even when you’re outside of something, that something’s in you; hasta cuando no estás en alguna cosa, esta en ti.”

“Huh?” Umi looked at Eli for an explanation.

“I met a friend in the ballet. She came from Spain.” Eli got the look people get when trying to remember the good parts. “In the week before a performance, sometimes we had to travel and stay in hotels. We had nothing to do but stay up late and talk. One night Estela opened up a book of quotes she had from philosophers and authors and celebrities.”

“I wish Honoka was that sort of well-read.”

“Want another quote?”

“Sure.”

“«La vie est ce qui se passe avant «au revoir», si «au revoir» est jamais dit.»”

“And it means?” asked Umi patiently.

“That you don’t know when you’ll say goodbye, so appreciate things a little.” Eli acted like she was being clever.

“I don’t appreciate being preached to.”

“You asked. I delivered,” said Eli.

“I won’t miss a chance to say goodbye to Honoka. Or Kotori. They… I’ll never stop talking to them. I just get mad at them sometimes.”

“I guess I gave the wrong advice then,” said Eli, not really believing it though it was true.

“‘Cooler heads prevail’ might’ve been a better quote.”

“Eh, maybe.”

____

Eli sat, boredly watching TV as she wondered how exactly to confess to Umi. It wasn’t like she had to go overboard--- no matter what far-fetched advice Nozomi gave her--- but there was a way to these things, and anyways the biggest problem is always nerves.

There was a quote about nerves, wasn’t there? ‘Anxiety is a lock on a gate; your future is inside.’ Lack of action means nothing happens. You have to go and do the thing to actually get it done.

Eli groaned. She wasn’t lazy, though sometimes she felt like it. But she was a sort of traditional girl raised in a sort of traditional family. She wanted to be the one to be asked out, but she knew, from how things were looking, Umi wasn’t going to do it anytime soon, even though she was certain Umi felt the same way about her.

“Oh, Prince Sonoda, come and take me away,” she mumbled to herself, then in a caricature of her grandmother, she said, “‘First you trap your prince, then let him leave once a day so he’ll earn you money.’” She laughed at that memory. Who’d’ve known, at the time, that she liked girls? Now, it was more or less common knowledge among her family.

Eli didn’t know what to do though. She couldn’t get Umi to ask her out anytime soon. Umi was sort of, to an incredibly cute, but frustratingly indecisive sense, to the point that she was afraid of doing anything that might be the slightest uncouth, or hinting at even the potential of the slightest…

While, no matter how she tried to phrase around it, it’d be easier for Eli just to say it. Umi was a prude about anything remotely romantic or sexual. A kiss could make her blush and flail her arms in panic. It was cute, but Eli really didn’t want to be the one to ask her out.

But, it didn’t matter in the end, and things were just being, perhaps infinitely, drawn-out like this, so might as well get things done quickly. Life doesn’t always give you what you prefer, and being with Umi was worth it. Suck it up and ask her out.

“Well, now that I’ve thought that out…” said Eli. “Mom! Where’d we keep the boxes from our old house! I wanna look for something!”

_____

“Hey, remember when I was telling you about Estela?” asked Eli, walking into the archery range. Umi let an arrow fly and turned to her.

“Yeah?”

“I copied her quotes into a notebook. A lot of them, anyways.” Eli sat down on a bench and smiled. “I just found it. Wanna hear some of them?” Umi couldn’t resist Eli’s smile.

“If they’re appropriate.” Umi pulled back an arrow while Eli read through them. “I’m grateful you’re sharing this with me---” Umi let an arrow fly. “---but, I don’t think a bunch of quotes will help me in my daily life. They might give me a little direction, but I have to change myself to actually make a difference.”

“They’ve helped me,” said Eli. “I remember late nights after practice, opening this book to look for the words that’d make me feel better. ‘When the wind blows softly against your cheek, that’s its tender kiss.’” Umi looked at her oddly. “I liked that one a lot. My room had a draft, so I got kissed a lot.” Umi blushed and nocked another arrow onto the bowstring. “Are you embarrassed at the thought of me and kissing?” Umi didn’t respond.

“Oh. Want to hear a fun story?” asked Eli.

“Sure.”

“One time I spent thirty minutes trying to come up with a quote and an author to attach the quote to. I wanted to see if she’d write it down without checking. She did.”

“What was the quote?”

“‘The horse does not exist without his rider,’ by Ivan Turgenev.”

“But Turgenev never said it?” asked Umi, trying to keep track of both her aim and the conversation.

“Not once. And she wrote it down.” Eli flipped through the pages, skimming down the lists of quotes. Even after so many years she could remember most of them. “Let’s see… Oh. Here’s another quote, „Blagodat’ v prostote - vozvyshennoye;“ ‘Grace in simplicity is the sublime.’”

“Mmmh.” Umi shot an arrow and it hit. Eli put her head in her hand and looked at Umi lovingly. In simple movements, grabbing the arrow, putting it on the bowstring, pulling back the bowstring. All so very simple. All so very beautiful.

“Looking at you, I’d have to agree.” Umi blushed and sat down while another member of the archery club took a turn. She muttered something. “What was that?”

“Don’t tease me.”

“Maybe I am teasing you,” said Eli. “That doesn’t mean I don’t mean it.”

“Mmh.” Umi looked at her hands shyly. Eli sighed and leaned back on the bench. She’d tried flirting with Umi because maybe Umi’d take the hint. Umi prob’ly had, but was too nervous to do anything.  
“«Ontologiquement, ce qui n’est pas dit n’existe pas.»”

“What was that?”

“Philosopher. Edison Jacques. I think Estela told me it came from an essay about the meaning of communication and human thought.” Eli closed the book. “It means you should say what you want to say, or else it doesn’t exist.” Eli stood up and walked over to Umi. She sat next to her and reached for her hand. Eli’s hand was sweating, because she didn’t know what she was doing. She was just doing what seemed right. “So, there’s been something I’ve wanted to say for a while.”

“What is it?” Umi blushed very easily, Eli thought. It’s going to be so hard to keep her from being so nervous. If she says yes.

“Wanna go out sometime?” The question struck Umi as coming out of nowhere, and she had to take a few minutes to register it before she could respond.

“Y-yes.” Umi couldn’t’ve said more than that one word, she was so nervous,

“Romantically, I mean.”

“Yes.”

“See a movie then?”

“Yes.” They sat there, two teenagers awkward because they were nervous and quietly happy. Eli thought of something.

“Hey, Umi.” Eli blowed softly on her cheek, leaving Umi embarrassed and confused for a half-second, and then twice as embarrassed as she understood. Eli did it again, and wrapped an arm around Umi.

“So, what kind of movie do you want to see?”

**Author's Note:**

> Been debating whether to post this, bit I figured why not *shrugs*
> 
> All quotes are fake, some of them created using Google Translate and my limited knowledge of Spanish, French, and orthography.


End file.
